Prince Amukamara
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Prince Kelechi Amukamara (born June 6, 1989) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
who is a free agent. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
for
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, and earned unanimous All-American honors. He was drafted by the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the first round of the
2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...
, and was a member of the Giants'
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
championship team as a rookie against his hometown team, the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Amukamara has also played for the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
,
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
,
Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
, and
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
.


Early years

Amukamara was born in
Leominster, Massachusetts Leominster ( ) is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 43,782 at the 2020 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and northwest of Boston. Both ...
, to parents Romanus and Christy Amukamara, both natives of
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. He soon moved to
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
before moving to
Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...
, when he was five years old.Apollo's TD machine
The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
, October 13, 2006.
He has five sisters, named Princess,
Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...
, Peace, Precious, and Passionate.Giants' Prince receives royal welcome
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, April 30, 2011.
Prince is of
Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...
Nigerian descent, His mother competed for Nigeria at the
1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...
in
track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
.Prince Amukamara's sisters made royal treatment nothing new for Giants' prized NFL Draft pick
Newark Star-Ledger Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...
, April 29, 2011.
His father is a teacher. Amukamara attended Apollo High School in Glendale, Arizona, where he excelled in multiple sports. Most notably, Amukamara was a track & field standout in several events, and was one of the Hawks' most explosive weapons on the football field. Through six games in the 2006 season, he had rushed for 1,129 yards and 270 receiving yards on offense and recorded two
interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
s on defense. He also had scored 18 offensive touchdowns and three defensive touchdowns. He finished the season with 2,106 rushing yards and 24
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s as a
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
and 95 tackles and two
interception In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
s as a defensive back. ''
The Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'' named him the "Big School Player of the Year" in Arizona. Amukamara was also named to the Arizona All-State team by
Scout.com Scout Media is an integrated sports publishing company that produces Internet content covering hundreds of professional and college teams across America. The company was founded in 2001 and was acquired by Fox Sports in 2005. In 2013, Fox Sports ...
. Regarded as a three-star recruit by
Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
, Amukamara was listed as the 11th best prospect from Arizona. On December 29, 2006, Amukamara committed to play college football at Nebraska. He also received scholarship offers from
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
,
Fresno State California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
,
Oregon State Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
,
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
, and
UTEP The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stude ...
. During his senior year of high school, when asked what he thought about the recruiting process, he responded, "I'm not worried about the recruiting now. I will look at it closer after the season."


College career

Amukamara attended the
University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, and played for the
Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, representing the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the West Division of the Big Ten. Nebraska plays its home games at Memorial Stadium ...
team from 2007 to 2010. After arriving at Nebraska, Amukamara contemplated playing basketball on top of football, but dropped those plans after fall football practices began. As a freshman in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Amukamara was described as being a newcomer "with a lot of personality" by senior
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
Corey McKeon. He made his debut for Nebraska on September 22 against
Ball State Ball State University (Ball State, State or BSU) is a public research university in Muncie, Indiana. It has two satellite facilities in Fishers and Indianapolis. On July 25, 1917, the Ball brothers, industrialists and founders of the Ball C ...
, playing on special teams. Amukamara finished the year with four tackles in eight games, splitting time in the secondary and on special teams.Prince Amukamara
University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
.
Entering his sophomore season, there was speculation as to whether he would play at running back or cornerback, before being named the back-up cornerback after training camp. He ended up starting the games against
Western Michigan West Michigan and Western Michigan are terms for an arbitrary region in the U.S. state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Most narrowly it refers to the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Michigan, Holland area, and more broadly to most of the region a ...
,
New Mexico State New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public land-grant research university based primarily in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest public institution of higher education in New Mexico and one of the state's tw ...
, and
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...
, as he played in all 13 of Nebraska's games. He finished the year with 34 tackles, with his season-high of eight coming against Western Michigan. As a junior, Amukamara became a starter at cornerback for Nebraska. Against
Louisiana-Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...
, Amukamara suffered an injury during the game, but did not miss any games. Amukamara finished the 2009 season with five interceptions, tied for the most on the team, 11 pass-breakups, 64 tackles, and two sacks. He was named to the first-team All-
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its fo ...
after the season. Amukamara tallied 59 tackles and one sack, but no interceptions as a senior. However, he only allowed 18 completed passes in his direction on 52 attempts during the season, and was praised for his "lock-down ability" against wide receivers during the season. Following the season, he was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American, and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Amukamara was also a
Jim Thorpe Award The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football since 1986. It is voted on by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, the award became sponsored by Paycom ...
finalist, a
Chuck Bednarik Award The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive player in college football as judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States. The award is named for Chuck Bednarik, a former college and professional Ame ...
semifinalist, and a Ronnie Lott Trophy quarterfinalist. While at the University of Nebraska, Amukamara majored in
political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
and received his degree in
sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
in December 2010.


Professional career

Prior to his senior season at Nebraska, a
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) scouting service gave Amukamara a 7.3 rating, which was tied for the highest among 1,400 college seniors that were graded. ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' described him as being "physical, possessing solid football speed and top ball skills." They later gave a him a first round grade after other NFL scouts had named him one of the best two seniors in all of college football. He was projected to be a first round draft pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. Amukamara received an invitation to the NFL combine and completed all of the required positional and combine drills. On March 10, 2011, he participated at Nebraska's pro day along with teammates
Niles Paul Niles Paul (born August 9, 1989) is a former American football tight end. He played college football as a wide receiver at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskin ...
,
Roy Helu Roy Ziegler Helu Jr. (born December 7, 1988) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska. Helu set the Redskins' franc ...
,
Alex Henery Alex Henery (born August 17, 1987) is a former American football kicker. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and set an NCAA record for field goal accuracy with an 89.5% success rate. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagle ...
,
Eric Hagg Eric Hagg (born September 15, 1989) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska, and high school football in Arizona at Ironwood ...
,
Dejon Gomes DeJon "D.J." Gomes (born November 17, 1989) is a former American football safety. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. Gomes played college football for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He was ...
, and 12 others. He opted to only perform positional drills for team representatives and scouts who attended. Amukamara was ranked as the second best cornerback prospect in the draft by NFLdraftscout.com, NFL analyst
Mike Mayock Michael Francis Mayock (born August 14, 1958) is a former American football executive and former player who served as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) from 2019 to 2021. Mayock was a safety with ...
, and NFL analyst
Brian Billick Brian Harold Billick (born February 28, 1954) is an American former American football, football coach and commentator. He was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 1994 to 1998; the team broke the National Football League, NF ...
.


New York Giants

The
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
selected Amukamara in the first round (19th overall) of the
2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...
. He was the second cornerback selected behind
Patrick Peterson Patrick De'mon Peterson Jr. (born July 11, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive ...
(5th overall).


2011

On August 4, 2011, the New York Giants signed him to a four-year, $8.18 million contract with 90% guaranteed. He was the longest hold out of the 2011 draft class. On August 6, 2011, he was sidelined indefinitely after breaking the fifth
metatarsal The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...
in his left foot during practice. On November 20, 2011, Amukamara made his professional regular season debut against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and recorded a season-high five solo tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass from
Vince Young Vincent Paul Young Jr. (born May 18, 1983) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. Young was drafted by the Tennessee Titans as the third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and ...
on the first series of a Giants' 10-17 loss. In Week 14, he collected four solo tackles during a 37-34 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He finished his rookie season with 14 combined tackles (12 solo), three pass deflections, and an interception in seven games and zero starts. The New York Giants finished the season with a 9-7 record and received a playoff berth. On January 8, 2012, Amukamara made his postseason debut and recorded two combined tackles in a 24-2 victory over the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
during the
NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
wildcard game. The Giants went on to defeat the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
37-20 and the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
20-17 in overtime winning the
NFC Championship The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. On February 5, 2012, he made one tackle in a 21-17 victory over the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. Throughout his rookie season in 2011, he was the New York Giants' third cornerback on their depth chart, behind
Aaron Ross Aaron Jermaine Ross (born September 15, 1982) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He won Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants, twice over t ...
and
Corey Webster Corey Jonas Webster (born March 2, 1982) is a former American football cornerback who played for the New York Giants. He was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft and later won two Super Bowls with the team, both over ...
.


2012

He competed with Aaron Ross,
Terrell Thomas Terrell R. Thomas (born January 8, 1985) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at USC. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He is also only the second player in NFL ...
,
Jayron Hosley Jayron Todd Hosley (born September 18, 1990) is a former American football cornerback who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. High school career He attended Atlantic ...
, and
Justin Tryon Justin Deaon Tryon (born May 29, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He also played for the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. Early life Try ...
for the starting cornerback job. He suffered a high ankle sprain during the Giants' preseason game against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. The injury kept him sidelined for the first two games of the season. On September 20, 2012, he made his 2012 season debut, recording a tackle and a pass deflection in a 36-7 defeat of the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. The following week, he earned four solo tackles and a pass deflection during a 17-19 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. On October 14, 2012, Amukamara collected six solo tackles, a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass from
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
in a 26-3 win against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. In Week 10, he recorded a season-high ten combined tackles during a 13-31 loss to the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. He missed Week 15 and was limited in Week 16 due to a
hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupeds, ...
injury. He finished the season with 53 combined tackles (45 solo), seven pass deflections, and an interception in 13 games and 11 starts.


2013

In training camp, Amukamara competed with Aaron Ross, Corey Webster, and Jayron Hosley for the starting cornerback position. He was named the starting cornerback with Corey Webster to start the season. On September 15, 2013, Amukamara recorded a career-high ten solo tackles and defended a pass during a 23-41 loss to the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. On September 29, 2013, he collected three combined tackles, defended two passes, and intercepted Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
in a 7-31 loss. He finished the season with a career-high 85 combined tackles (76 solo), 14 pass deflections, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts.


2014

On May 1, 2014, the New York Giants picked up the fifth-year option for 2015 on Amukamara's rookie contract. He earned a salary of $6.89 million for 2015. He competed with
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Dominique Reshard Rodgers-Cromartie (born April 7, 1986) is a former American football cornerback who played 11 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Tennessee State University, and was drafted by the Arizona ...
and
Walter Thurmond Walter Riley Thurmond III (born August 12, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He won Super ...
for the starting cornerback job. Head coach Tom Coughlin named him the starting cornerback alongside Rodgers-Cromartie. On September 14, 2014, he recorded a season-high nine combined tackles and a pass deflection during the Giants' 14-25 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. The following week, he earned six combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass from
Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...
during a 30-17 victory over the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
. In Week 4, Amukarmara recorded three combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted Washington Redskins' quarterback
Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the team then known as the Washingto ...
in a 45-14 victory. He tore his bicep on November 3, 2014, ending his season. He finished with a total of 46 combined (37 solo), 11 deflected passes, and career-high three interceptions.


2015

Amukamara started the Giants' season-opener against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
and recorded a season-high eight combined tackles during a 26-27 loss. In Week 3, he made a season-high eight combined tackles, three pass deflections, and intercepted Washington Redskins' quarterback
Kirk Cousins Kirk Daniel Cousins (born August 19, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the team then known as the Washingto ...
during a 32-21 victory. On October 11, 2015, he suffered an injury to his
pectoral Pectoral may refer to: * The chest region and anything relating to it. * Pectoral cross, a cross worn on the chest * a decorative, usually jeweled version of a gorget * Pectoral (Ancient Egypt), a type of jewelry worn in ancient Egypt * Pectoralis ...
during a 30-27 victory over the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. Amukamara missed Week 6-10 due to the injury. In Week 15, he recorded a season-high seven solo tackles and defended two passes during a 35-38 loss to the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He started ten games in and appeared in 11, finishing with a total of 63 combined tackles (55 solo), ten pass deflections, an interception, and a forced fumble.


Jacksonville Jaguars


2016

On March 11, 2016, the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
signed Amukamara to a one-year, $5.5 million contract that included $3 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $1.5 million. Amukamara competed against
Davon House Davon Thomas House (born July 10, 1989) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at New Mexico State, and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Ja ...
,
Jalen Ramsey Jalen Lattrel Ramsey (born October 24, 1994) is an American football cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State Seminoles football, Florida State and was drafted by the ...
,
Aaron Colvin Aaron Colvin (born October 2, 1991) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Oklahoma and was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Houston Tex ...
,
Dwayne Gratz Dwayne Jamar Gratz (born March 8, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut. Early years Gratz grew up in Pis ...
, and Josh Johnson throughout training camp for the starting cornerback job. Head coach
Gus Bradley Paul Casey "Gus" Bradley (born July 5, 1966) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seah ...
named Amukamara the starting nickelback, alongside Davon House and Jalen Ramsey, to begin the season. He started the Jacksonville Jaguars' season-opener against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
and recorded two combined with tackles and a pass deflection. He missed Weeks 2 and 3 due to a
hamstring In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury. In quadrupeds, ...
injury.


Chicago Bears


2017

On March 10, 2017, the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
signed Amukamara to a fully guaranteed one-year, $7 million contract with a signing bonus of $3.5 million. Throughout training camp, he competed with
Marcus Cooper Marcus Cooper Sr. (born February 1, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for Rutgers University. Cooper has also ...
,
Sherrick McManis Sherrick Terravis McManis (born December 19, 1987) is an American football cornerback and special teamer who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northweste ...
,
Bryce Callahan Bryce Jordan Callahan (born October 23, 1991) is an American football cornerback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rice, and signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent ...
, and
Kyle Fuller Kyle Brandon Fuller (born February 16, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and played college ...
for the Bears' starting cornerback position. Head coach John Fox named him the Bears' starting cornerback to begin the season. On August 27, 2017, Amukamara suffered an
ankle The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...
injury on the first play of a 19–7 preseason victory over the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. He missed the last preseason game and the first two regular season games due to the ankle injury. In Week 3, he made his Chicago Bears debut and collected three combined tackles and defended two passes in a 23–17 overtime victory over the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. On October 9, 2017, Amukamara made his first start of the season and made four solo tackles in a 17–20 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
.


2018

On March 13, 2018, Amukamara signed a three-year, $27 million extension with the Bears. On September 17, 2018, Amukamara recorded his first career interception for a touchdown on quarterback
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is widely regarded ...
in the 24–17 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
on ''Monday Night Football''. In week 10 against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, Amukamara intercepted quarterback
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
and also made eight tackles. The Bears won the game 34–22. In week 14 against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
, Amukamara intercepted
Jared Goff Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for passing ...
which sealed a 15-6 Bears win. Amukamara finished the season with 66 tackles, 12 passes defended, and 3 interceptions, including a pick six. He received an overall grade of 81.0 from
Pro Football Focus Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
in 2018, which ranked as the 9th highest grade among all qualifying corner backs.


2019

In week 4 against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, Amukamara made 2 tackles and forced a fumble off
Stefon Diggs Stefon Marsean Diggs (born November 29, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Maryland, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round ...
in the 16-6 win. In week 5 against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, he recovered a fumble forced by
Sherrick McManis Sherrick Terravis McManis (born December 19, 1987) is an American football cornerback and special teamer who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northweste ...
on
Trevor Davis Trevor Lee Davis (born July 4, 1993) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at California and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also played for ...
at the goal line in the 24–21 loss. A pulled hamstring against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
in week 13 led to him missing the following week's game. On February 21, 2020, Amukamara was released by the Bears after three seasons in a move to create cap space.


Las Vegas Raiders

On May 18, 2020, Amukamara signed with the
Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
. On August 31, he was released by the Raiders after being on their practice squad.


Arizona Cardinals

On October 13, 2020, Amukamara was signed to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
practice squad. His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 11, 2021.


New Orleans Saints

On August 2, 2021, Amukamara signed with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. He was released on August 17, 2021.


NFL statistics


Personal life

Amukamara married Pilar Davis in 2014. Amukamara is a Christian, refrains from alcohol, and has stated that he stayed chaste before marriage. He has spoken about his faith saying, "... the feeling of winning the Super Bowl went away pretty quickly. I don’t think about it much unless people remind me. ... But to be a Christian, that’s a daily thing and that’s what I think about the most. Amukamara is an ambassador for Up2Us Sports, a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting underserved youth by providing them with coaches trained in positive youth development. Amukamara takes part in a Chicago Bears' tradition of the "Home Team Hand-Off" program, where Chicago players can purchase season tickets and donate them to a charity of their choice. He chose to donate to "The Other's Program".


References


External links

*
Nebraska Cornhuskers bio

NFL combine profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amukamara, Prince 1989 births Living people American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Players of American football from Arizona Players of American football from Massachusetts People from Leominster, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Worcester County, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Glendale, Arizona All-American college football players American football cornerbacks Nebraska Cornhuskers football players New York Giants players Jacksonville Jaguars players Chicago Bears players Las Vegas Raiders players Arizona Cardinals players New Orleans Saints players